FG identifies 5000 more Nigerians in Libyan camps

The charge d'affaires said the Federal Government have so far repatriated 3250 from Libya in recent times.

Charge d'Affaires of Nigeria in Libya, Mr Illiya Fachano, told Newsmen "there is a camp with 5000 Nigerians and we need the diplomatic police to escort us to extract them".

"Before you can assist them, they will have to sign a consent form, after which emergency travel certificates are issued. Certainly, it has to be those who want to come back home".

"Migration is natural and has always happened but becomes an issue when there are people migrating illegally meaning the migrants arrive without proper documentations and hide their identity".

"We have visited the detention camps, and also collaborated with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to repatriate migrants weekly".

"The fact that the coast guards at the Mediterranean Sea are professionally trained and well funded by the European Union, they have captured many people who are trying to illegally cross to Europe and returned them to Libya".

This is even as 300 other Nigerians are to be repatriated from Libya every week.

"We need the Nigerian government to better fund its embassy in Libya and send the aircraft".

"I can confirm that the stories of Africans being bought as slaves in general is true, however, we discovered other people who were bought and sold by their fellow Nigerians living in Europe", he said.

"We also ensure that we are up to date with the number of Nigerians in specific detention camps".

Of this figure, the government said 250 were repatriated on December 5.

Merkel said Thursday she emphasized in meetings in Berlin with Libyan Prime Minister Fayez Serraj that this "shocking picture" of suffering needed to be improved.

Fachano said the government would continue to make efforts to save Nigerians that are trapped in Libya.